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Sometimes the craving to let loose on your favourite racing game can be inescapable. However, you unfortunately can’t always be carrying a full games console and TV with you.

Fortunately the roster of impressive racing games available for Apple iOS and Android smartphones and tablets continues to grow. The 10 games profiled here will let you indulge your yearning for speed with maximum convenience, and are available on both Android and iOS devices.

Many of the games featured here are free to download from their respective stores, but keep an eye out for those in-app purchases.

Virtually Live Formula E Ghost Racing – £Free

One of the newest games on this list, Virtually Live Formula E Ghost Racing allows players to fully immerse themselves in the increasingly popular electric single-seater series.

Using data from races as they happen, gamers are able to test themselves against digital versions of real Formula E drivers. Players can also build up a garage of their favourite Formula E cars, along with testing themselves in challenges against friends.

An added bonus is the ability to watch Formula E races unfold live, along with dedicated in-game commentary.

Asphalt 9: Legends – £Free

The latest in the Asphalt series of games released by Gameloft, this instalment adds a host of new cars and environments for arcade racing action.

Gamers have the chance to compete in a career mode which spans 60 seasons, and offers up to 800 separate races. Online multiplayer competition against seven other players is also on offer.

Although the roster of cars, including Porsche and Ferrari are real, the nitro boost effects and epic stunts do mean suspending your disbelief for maximum enjoyment.

Real Racing 3 – £Free

Recent updates have added the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, alongside NASCAR, Formula E, and Australian Supercar challenges. More than 20 different tracks, including Brands Hatch and Spa-Francorchamps, are recreated in detailed glory.

Online competition supplements a career mode, but some gamers warn that in-app purchases can become addictive in order to obtain the best items.

Need for Speed: No Limits – £Free

One of the latest episodes in the long-running Need for Speed gaming franchise, this mobile game was developed by the same studio responsible for Real Racing 3.

That means similarly impressive visuals and roster of real cars, but with eye on much more dramatic arcade-style street racing. Players undertake a variety of different events, earning increased reputation and in-game cash.

In keeping with previous Need for Speed games, there are endless options for customising the appearance, paintwork, and performance of your favourite car.

Motorsport Manager 3 – £3.99

Adding a twist to the traditional racing game, as the name might suggest Motorsport Manager 3 sees you taking charge of running your very own race team. If you’ve ever dreamt of being Christian Horner or Toto Wolff, then this is the one for you.

Playsport Games have created a detailed management simulation, requiring you to pick and develop drivers, choose engineering upgrades, and negotiate sponsorship deals. Race events also require your input on strategy, so start getting familiar with those tyre compounds!

Motorsport Manager 3 also includes an impressive Augmented Reality option, letting you look around the detailed race environment in full 3D.

F1 Mobile Racing – £Free

This is the official mobile racing game of the Formula 1 World Championship, and has been fully updated to feature all the latest 2019 cars, drivers, and regulations.

As you might expect, the game includes all the tracks from the F1 calendar. Players can compete in Grand Prix races, challenge their friends in 1-on-1 duels, or customise their favourite F1 car.

Special events are held on Grand Prix weekends, allowing gamers to take home big rewards.

Rush Rally 3 – £3.99

The product of one man’s dedicated efforts for more than eight years, the Rush Rally series aims to bring console-inspired rallying action to the smaller screen.

More than 70 rally stages are on offer, varying between tarmac, snow, gravel, and dirt surfaces. Different weather conditions, and even fearsome night stages, add extra challenges for players.

Gamers can customise their touchscreen controls to individual preferences, create their own liveries for the variety of cars, or take on others with real-time multiplayer competition.

CSR Racing 2 – £Free

If you like living your life one quarter-mile at a time, CSR Racing 2 is the drag racing game for you. From hot hatches, to classic muscle cars and modern hypercars, CSR 2 offers a packed garage of cars to choose from.

Each car can be customised with endless combinations of paint and decal options, with thoroughly detailed interior and engine bays to match.

Out on the virtual street, practice will make perfect for timing your starts and gear shifts. Cars can be upgraded, nitrous oxide added, and there is a wealth of online competitions to take part in.

Grid Autosport – £9.99

The most expensive game on the list, Grid Autosport replicates the console experience of the game originally seen on the Microsoft Xbox 360 and Sony PlayStation 3.

With more than 100 cars and 100 tracks, Grid Autosport includes five different motorsport divisions. Touring cars offer close racing, with even a destruction derby mode included.

Fully available for iOS devices already, developers Feral Interactive have recently released a ‘beta’ test version for Android users. The full game should be in the Google Play store in the coming months.

Coming soon – Forza Street

Microsoft’s Forza franchise has proven to be hugely successful, and now the brand is coming to mobile platforms.

The game itself is a rebranded version of a previous Microsoft racing game, Miami Street, released in 2018. Gameplay relies on timing button presses for throttle and brakes, making it much simpler than other Forza offerings.

Currently available to download for Windows 10 PCs, Forza Street will be released for iOS and Android mobile devices later in 2019.